A series of tree planting ceremonies were held in 8 locations in March 2010 in the Province of Brescia, Italy, and this was one of them.
Although the planting itself will take place in the Park Station Arcobaleno, the tree planting ceremony was held at Maria Rosaria Cassarino Junior High School to plant the tree temporarily in a bigger pot before the actual planting takes place in May.
About 120 pupil representatives participated in the ceremony held in the morning of 23 March. Prior to the planting, they watched a video showing the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was made by pupils who learned about the atomic bomb and the bombed kaki tree. Then a recorder and guitar performance and singing took place. Poems inspired by the bombed kaki tree were very moving. The kaki tree collage painting using the “Fruit” and “Leaves” pasted on the walls and windows was very creative and demonstrated that pupils of Maria Rosaria Cassarino Junior High School had learned well about the seedlings of the bombed kaki tree and had expanded on the subject. They are planning to develop peace education programs through other channels such as listening to the elderly talk about their experience during the war at the elderly center adjacent to the Park Station Arcobaleno where the tree will be planted in the ground. It was the event that showed the pupils’ eagerness to learn.
